The Surf Academy — Areia Branca, Lourinhã
May 22, 2026 · 7 min read
May 22, 2026 · 7 min read
Some fishing villages have transformed themselves into surf towns for Instagram. Lourinhã is not one of them. It's still Lourinhã — fishermen, dinosaurs (yes, real fossils discovered in the 19th century), regional wine, and a long stretch of coast extending for kilometres. In the middle of that coast there's a wide, exposed sandy beach called Praia da Areia Branca. It's there, on that sand, that Pedro Fernandes founded The Surf Academy in 2022.
Pedro was born in 1988. He has been surfing for over 30 years. He started teaching at 18. Thirty years in the water aren't replaced by a six-month intensive course — and that difference shows the moment you're in the water with him. He holds FPS Level I from 2008, upgraded to Level II in 2021. Thirteen years between certifications, surfing and teaching daily in between — the kind of CV you only build through presence.
He is CEO + Coach. But the important thing is this: he is present at every single lesson. He's not the guy who shows up for the photo and disappears to the office — he's the instructor next to you from your first wave to your last. In a small school, this isn't "marketing". It's the actual operation.
Beside him is Viriato "Viri" Delgado, also a Coach. Viri started surfing at 10. He holds FPS Level I from the Universidade Lusófona de Lisboa. Those who know him describe him as meticulous and detail-oriented — the kind of instructor who catches the small things you don't see, the ones that win lessons.
The base is Praia da Areia Branca, in Lourinhã (about 1h north of Lisbon, on the so-called Costa de Prata). A long sandy beach, sandy bottom, no surprise rocks, with exposure that catches Atlantic swells without being brutal — exactly what you need to teach beginners safely.
But what sets The Surf Academy apart isn't just the home beach. It's the 12 km of coast Pedro and Viri get to choose from: "12 km of coast and beaches with extensive sands and cliffs, offering waves for all levels". When Areia Branca is too small, too big, the wrong wind or the wrong direction, they have alternatives a few minutes by car — and the school provides transport. Instead of giving you a mediocre lesson because today's beach won't co-operate, they take you to the beach that is.
That's an operational difference few schools offer. Most are "tied" to their stand. The Surf Academy chose to move rather than compromise the lesson.
The offer is structured in three levels, and that matters because each level has clear goals — not the same diluted programme for everyone:
— Initiation · For those who've never touched a board. First contact with the sea, safety, wave reading, pop-up. Group lessons capped at 5 students per instructor (tighter than the FPS minimum, by deliberate choice). Equipment included.
— Formation · For those already catching waves and wanting to progress. Paddle work, take-off, set reading, wave selection, posture. Video analysis included so you get objective feedback on your progression.
— Performance · Advanced coaching for surfers already doing turns who want to refine. Take-offs in bigger waves, bottom-turns, transitions, cutbacks. Individual programme, video critique, progression plan.
For all three levels, private lessons are also available — 1:1 or as a pair, at your own pace.
— Equipment · Board, wetsuit, leash. All gear matched to your level and to the sea temperature (the Portuguese Atlantic calls for 3/2 or 4/3 depending on the season).
— Safety briefing on land before the water. Reading the day's sea, identifying currents, beach signage.
— Video analysis · In Formation and Performance, waves are recorded and reviewed at the end. See yourself in motion instead of just hearing what went wrong.
— Transport to the optimal beach · If Areia Branca isn't working and there's a better spot a few kilometres away, the school drives you there. No extra cost.
— Small groups · Max 5 per instructor in group lessons. Real attention, not symbolic.
— The founder in the lesson · Pedro is at every class. Not talk — it's the operating rule.
It starts on land. Briefing, reading the sea, safety fundamentals, dry pop-up drill. Only then do you enter the water. Most of the time is spent in the sea — not on the sand. Every wave gets feedback: what worked, what needs adjusting, what to try next.
At the end, there's review. In Initiation, it's a simple conversation — what you felt, what you gained. In Formation and Performance, the video opens. You see exactly where the pop-up was late, where the posture opened, where set reading cost you the best wave of the set. Seeing yourself from outside is the fastest leap in any surf progression — and the school made that protocol, not an extra.
It's the line Pedro chose for the house. It's not catalogue talk — it's an operational statement. Surf taken seriously means: real preparation, right gear, full attention, safety first, true progression. It's not summer entertainment for the beach photo — it's technical surfer construction, from first contact to advanced manoeuvre.
"Pedro was patient, professional, and fun. I learned more in one lesson with him than in whole days on my own in the water." — public testimonials on the school website
The school operates in Portuguese and English. Lourinhã is a natural weekend hour from Lisbon, but it also welcomes international surfers who pick the Costa de Prata instead of the obvious Ericeira or Caparica — less crowded, more authentic, and with waves for every level.
There are reasons to choose surfing here instead of Ericeira or Cascais. First: fewer crowds. Areia Branca doesn't draw the international stampede of the more famous spots — it's easier to find space in the water to learn without stress. Second: operational flexibility. Because the school uses 12 km of coast, it's rare to have a day where there's no lesson for bad conditions. Third: authenticity. Lourinhã is still a town with its own life — fresh fish in the restaurants, regional wine, dinosaur fossils in a real museum (yes, really), and a stretch of sand that breathes without rushing.
One hour from Lisbon by A8 or by coast. Not the obvious choice. The choice of those who want to surf well without the stress of the obvious.
If you've never touched a board, you'll have an instructor with 30+ years in the water pushing you into your first wave — not a summer part-timer. If you already surf and want to progress, you'll get video analysis every lesson and an honest progression plan. If you're already intermediate/advanced, you'll have a coach who notices the details instead of pushing you into another whitewater class.
And in any of those cases, the school's founder will be in the water with you. In an industry where most owners moved to the office, that's rare. And it shows.
The Surf Academy is available on Surf Booking. Book online with secure Stripe payment, instant confirmation by email + push, automatic same-day reminder. Show up at Areia Branca with everything sorted.
See available lessons in Lourinhã
The Surf Academy
Lourinhã · Praia da Areia Branca · Costa de Prata
Surf · founded 2022 by Pedro Fernandes (FPS II)
Available on Surf Booking
Certified instructors who guide you in the water.